Every season has its own special charm in the garden, but after the bleakness of autumn and the cold of winter, gardeners can hardly wait to see those colorful flowers in bloom again. The arrival of spring flowers is a welcome sign of warmer weather and new growth, and it puts a smile on everyone’s face. Spring flowering bulbs are a great way to brighten up your garden from January through May. There are many different varieties to choose from, so you can create a colorful display that will change month to month. Crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils are some of the earliest bloomers, followed by tulips, hyacinths, and lilies.
When planting spring flowering bulbs, it is important to choose a location with well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs at a depth of two to three times their height, and water them well after planting. Once the flowers have faded, you can leave the bulbs in the ground to multiply and bloom again next year. Spring flowering bulbs are a low-maintenance way to add beauty and color to your garden. With a little planning, you can enjoy these blooms for months to come. Technically, you can have up to 5 months of flowering bulbs if you plant the earliest to the latest that is. The following are a few that will span the period from mid winter to late spring.
Winter Arconite, a charming tuberous perennial that explodes from the ground in late winter (before Crocuses) Their cup shaped, upward facing bright yellow flowers are considered deer resistant.
Snowdrops consist of beautiful, dainty white flowers arching downward. These wonderful little beauties can emerge from the ground as early as January.
Blooming well before Dutch Crocus, Snow Crocus may be smaller in flower size than it’s larger cousin (Dutch Crocus), but the flowers are greater in number. For a dramatic show, plant same color in large quantities.
Sieber’s Crocus is a late winter -flowering easy-to grow Crocus producing flowers as the snow melts. Blooming occurs from April-May
The most popular companion to the tulip, daffodils (Narcissus) are spring flowering bulbs which offer a wide variety of flower shapes and sizes. Long-lived, certain varieties can naturalize and multiply year after year. Deer & rodent resistant.
Grape Hyacinths are easy to grow and naturalize quite easily in the garden. They come in different shades of blue, white and pink. They are extremally fragrant and make a nice companion plant with daffodils.
There are fewer flowers that brighten the garden more than tulips. If you love Tulips and want to have a great spring garden that blooms from early season through to late season, choose Tulip bulbs that bloom across all three spring seasons.